lululemon Journey Crops + #sunfamfun

soooo, what did you and your fam get into today?

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 we got fro-yo this evening to conclude my first 'relaxed' sunday in a really long time.  i was honestly emotional today thinking about the sunday class i no longer teach (we were in Miami this time last week so it was the furthest thing from my mind lol).  but now i'm back in town and i found myself letting those guilty feelings and thoughts creep back in concerning my decision to drop the class.  just taking it one sunday at a time.

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first off, let me just say how BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE i am from this past weekend's Blog Elevated Conference.  just wow.  my brain is literally overflowing with info and i am JUST now sitting down to review it all. or at least try to.  pages and pages of notes.  a gigantic stack of business cards from the other awesome bloggers i met.  i'll get to it all.  after this post!

i had the pleasure of testing out these fan-freakin-tastic Journey Cropped pants from Lululemon recently.

can you say 'second skin'?

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they kept right up with all my shenanigans.  stretching, running, HIIT, treadmill, yoga, weight training, lounging, grocery shopping-  all of it.

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why i love and recommend the Journey Crops - 78.00:

  • compressive but comfortable
  • they fit like a glove / accentuates my shape and holds everything in place
  • high waist band to prevent muffin top
  • secret pocket
  • long & lean length
  • breathable, cool, sheer, lightweight mesh fabric on the back of the leg (hamstring and calve) area
  • mesh area is stylish not see-through
  • crazy comfortable

my 5:30am members got a kick outta my one-woman fashion show while up on the stage before class.

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they are made with Luon, Interlock Power Luxtreme, and mesh materials.  click to see how to take care of these fabrics and increase their lifespan.

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the Journey Crops are certainly Fit Foodie Le APPROVED!  in every color ;)

monday motivation:

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everyone who lost a fairy large amount of weight did so by adding in some form of physical activity.

even if it was a little bit, the fact that they were more active definitely contributed to their weight loss efforts.

what helps you stay consistent is finding something you enjoy!

trial and error. run. do yoga. dance. twerk. walk. bike. skip. jump. sprint. swim. ski. kickbox. jog. try it all.

just get up.

get active.

get moving.

le

snacks on a plane

RISE AND GRIND fit foodies! mornin'. i was up early in sanctuary #2 gettin' my sweat on in Barbell Strength class. fun, fun. wake up!!!

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get to know trial and error.  get comfortable with it.  accept that things will not always go the way you planned.  and when they don't, sulking and dwelling on it should be the last thing on your agenda.  it shouldn't even be on there to begin with.  to be disappointed is to be human.  cry. adapt. adjust. suck it up.  pick yourself up. then keep walking.  failure does not mean defeat.  it means that you now understand what works and what doesn't, e.g. trial and error!  whether you receive a yes or a no in the pursuit of your dreams, they are both blessings.  you must believe that.  God has your best interest at heart at all times and will not lead you astray.  He promised!  He's just adjusting your path to where He wants you to go.  remember... He's always thinking of you, even when He is not on your mind.    i may not always know which way to go when a fork is thrown in my road or what to do next, but walking backwards is not an option.  face your fears and keep moving forward, friends.

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i hardly ever get to sit down and actually read my favorite mags anymore so i took full advantage on our plane ride to South Beach this past weekend. look out; Fall recipes are headed your way ;)  what else did i bring? you already know.

some fast food.

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a couple of red delicious apples, clementines, almonds, and my favorite gluten-free, all natural FITzee bar flavor, Apples 'n Oats.

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perfect for traveling and on-the-go but also for feeding those hungry muscles after a great workout!  after exercise, your body requires an abundance of protein and carbohydrates to replenish your depleted muscles.

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  the bar's carbohydrate:protein:fat ratio makes it an ideal, healthy option for a PWO (post workout) snack or meal replacement.  click here for nutritional stats and ingredients on all 3 flavors.

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depending on your airline, in-flight snacks and/or meals seem to be nonexistent these days, jeez.  no peanuts, pretzels, nothin' .   you'd do better bringing your own anyway!

MORE non-refridgerated snack ideas for traveling:

  • trailmix / granola
  • beef or turkey jerky
  • packaged tuna
  •  wraps, tortillas, pita pockets (La Tortilla Factory, Prophet's Ezekiel)
  • peanut butter (individual packets)

 off to pick up my business cards for the BE conference tonooooight!

le

Q: what are you afraid of?

BE countdown

and we're back!  Sonny and i celebrated wedding anni #6 in South Beach this past weekend.  you know i'll be making a nice little blog post about it when i get my life together but check out my Instagram feed for a few highlights in the meantime.

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we got in late monday night after picking up Chiso from his grandparents house and i went to bed feeling like i shoulda got a sub for my 5:30am class the next morning.  after not picking up any dumbbells in 5 days straight and eating everything under the blazing Miami sun, um i needed to be there :shock: . i felt crappy on the way and not even my cup of coffee did much to help but i left the gym feeling the exact opposite.  it always happens that way!  then i crashed when i got home. really hard.

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one great thought or action breeds another, so start your day with POSITIVITY!  an uplifting song, a scripture, prayer, or a motivational quote or all three.  they have an incredible, noticeable impact on the rest of your day. then pair it with something healthy and nutritious to go in your body and you are well on your way!

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AAAAAAAGGGHH!!!!! the Blog Elevated Conference (BE) starts TOMORROW!!!!!! super-duper stoked is an understatement.  i'm shy, i'm reserved, yeah, yeah, yeah, but i am gonna try my absolute best to JUMP outta my comfort zone this weekend and be the social butterfly i know i can be.  i'm anxious just thinking about it but enough is enough.

dosomethingyouveneverdonegot it? good. now apply it.

i owe you like three recipes!!! let's talk about these apple pie pancakes real quick though.  not to be confused with the apple pie oatmeal in my ebook (shameful plug).

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hot apple-cinnamon pie  oat bran pancakes

the stuff:

  • 1/2 cup raw oat bran
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 3 - 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 heaping tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup chopped red delicious apple
  • 1 tbsp coconut crystals
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

do this:

mix everything in your blender EXCEPT the apples, coconut crystals, and lemon juice.  add as much almond milk as you'd like; i dont like super thick batter so i add about 4-5 tbsp myself to stretch it and make as many cakes as possible.  cook up the batter in your medium heated, no-stick cooking spray coated pan for 3-4 minutes each side.  heat a small saucepan over a medium flame and add your apples, lemon juice, and coconut crystals all at once.  stir until crystals have melted a bit but make sure it doesn't burn! it cooks fast.  top your cakes with the hot apple mixture.  drizzle them with some zero calorie Walden Farms pancake syrup.  ready, set,

go.

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stats are for the entire thang.

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happy pancaking.

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Q: what's one thing in your morning routine that you must do every single day?

le

Blog Elevated Conference + peanut butta banana fudgy brownies

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fit foodie le is headed to the Blog Elevated conference this month!!!!! i learned about this conference a few months ago and, well, everything about it grabbed my attention.  learning more about one of my favorite things to do in one of my favorite places in Houston?  um i HAVE to be there.  i must. and by the grace of God, I AM IN THAT THANG, free of charge.   i am just one big ol' sponge ready to soak up ALL kinds of blogging knowledge.  crazy excited to say the least... this is like an overnight adult field trip.  if you're going, well, i'll be seeing you there then won't i :)! i'm ready to take Fit Foodie Le to the next level baby.

everything you need to know about attending this fan-flippin-tastic  conference is right HEA.

oh you like brownies? me three. try theeeeeeese:

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peanut butta banana fudgy brownies

the stuff:

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • dash of salt
  • 2 tbsp Stevia for Baking blend
  • 2 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 tbsp PB2 (in powder form)

do this:

combine everything in your food processor and blend until smooth.  this is optional, but you can fold in 1/4 a cup (or however many you like really) mini chocolate chips, or mix up some PB2 slightly gooey-er than usual (using unsweetened vanilla almond milk) and swirl it into the top of your brownie batter before baking.  see below:

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your call though, as always.  350 degrees for 40 minutes in your baking pan that has been coated with no-stick cooking spray,  and all is right with the world.  under your roof anyway.

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oooooh yeah. the topping on this one is mashed banana and chocolate PB2 swirled together and dotted with mini chocolate chips.

makes 12! for 1(excluding toppings):

fudgy brownies

Q: have you ever attended a conference concerning your area of interest? was it worth it? how did you benefit from it? you knew that was coming, come on.

le

sunday family fun day

i have been teaching my 11am 24 Hour Fitness Total Conditioning class since the beginning of 2013.  i've had a crazy good time meeting so many new members and sweating our faces off together sunday after sunday for these past 9 months!   nevertheless, after having a sit-down with Sonny and fighting weeks (ok months) of conviction, i have finally decided to give it up.  even if a class inconvenienced me, leaving is always difficult.  i despise disappointing and letting people down, especially when they get a routine going and expect me to hold up my end of the bargain and be there.  i guess i despise it cause i know how it feels.    this isn't the first class i've had to leave in my 6 years of teaching, but yesterday gave me that overwhelmingly bittersweet feeling.  again.

i could barely let my supervisor know my decision let alone share my 'important announcement' with my class today.  yeah.... this is always my answer to that dreaded 'what's one thing you would change about yourself' question.

if we made it to church for early service, i felt good.  starting my sunday with Word and worship with my fam is well, the best way to start the day IMO.  however,  if we were out too late at a saturday night event (which happened all too often e.g. birthday parties, dinners,  gatherings, weddings, etc.) early service was out of the question, which meant church didn't happen at all.  i have missed church more times this year than i have in my entire life...and that is so unfair to my family.   individual worship is important to grow your relationship with God, definitely....  but church is a vital part of that growth for me and my spiritual life has suffered because of its absence.  when this happens, i have to evaluate whatever is going in my life at the time,  pinpoint those distraction(s),  and either move or remove them.  it took me 9 months to accept this, but i finally let it go.  why? because it's the best move for our family and the head of my household and heart agree.  masking those feelings of disappointment completely will come with time, but putting it that way makes me feel a whole lot better.

and i really miss going out to eat after church. lol. not just as an immediate fam, but meeting up with my parents, friends, and extended family, etc.  we have either turned down those invites or showed up super-duper late.  rushing off to the gym after service was the only thing on my mind...  if i hadn't gotten my routine together the night before, i found myself writing down moves during service instead of giving God my undivided attention.  ok i could go ON.

---------->let nothing hinder or get in the way of your worship & relationship with God or block the spiritual & emotional growth of your family.  nothing.<----------

now does this mean i won't workout on sundays anymore?  not at all! i appreciate having the option to go at a more convenient time though vs. mandatory for sure. no pressure.  those family gym dates will keep right on rolling.

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 i'm so grateful for these two knuckleheads cause they are totally worth the sacrifice.  so each sunday when we do our family thing, i'll capture the moment, upload it to Instagram, and hashtag it #sundayfamilyfunday.    seeing other families spending quality time together really makes you appreciate and cherish what you have.  so if you're following me on IG, well, join in and share!  just don't forget to hashtag it #sundayfamilyfunday. eating, chilling, hanging out, exercising....WHATEVER it is you and your family do together, share it.   i have a feeling most pics will revolve around food - i know most of ours will :shock:

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if there's a HEB by you, fresh salmon is on sale for 6.97 a lb this week until tuesday!

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 i got us a couple pounds this past weekend and i have been roasting it with hidden valley ranch dry ranch dressing mix.

Walden Farms dressings have been BOGO (buy one get one free) at Sprouts Farmers Market this week so i got the Asian and Balsamic flavors on my last trip there.

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 you can use them as actual salad dressings, or as marinades for your proteins (fish, chicken, beef, shellfish).

that chicken up there turned out great (roasted it for 50 minutes on 350 degrees) and i threw it on a salad for lunch last week.

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see! it's a berry almond Asian chicken salad.  romain lettuce mix, raw sugar snap peas, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, sliced almonds, roasted chicken breast (marinated and sprinkled with Mc Cormick Perfect Pinch Asian seasoning), all drizzled with a little more Asian dressing.  crunchy, crispy, fresh and healthy.

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back to the salmon - i've been making these 'teriyaki' bowls by throwing everything into a container (carbs, veggies, protein, fat) and drizzling it all with one of the WF dressings.  flavorful, fresh, and addicting.  switch out any and everything for your favorites!  countless combos i tell you, COUNTLESS!!!!!!

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  these fantastic sales are over this week (tuesday and wednesday), so take advantage.

happylife

we always have enough to be happy if we are enjoying what we do have and not worrying about what we don't have.

you'll always be waiting for or on SOMETHING.  take a look over your life and praise Him for all you have right, right now.  you are so BLESSED!

Q: what day of the week do you consider your family day?

le